Kanyamashokoro César creates works of clay sculpture that showcase the beauty of the process. Shoko’s works embrace imperfection and a natural aesthetic, in which the artist celebrates the coloration and texture of raw clay.

I like the tactile nature of Shoko’s sculptures – many of then depict human figures, and feature plenty of evidence of the artist’s interventions and the process of building up the form. Some of Shoko’s more recent sculptures remind of the work of Rebecca Warren, another artist very concerned with drawing deliberate attention to the sculpting process.

Some of Shoko’s works are highly abstracted – a series of Live Models from clay are mostly unrecognizable as human figures, yet they still seem to have a sort of organic presence and personality about them. The combination of rounded, bulbous forms and hard, flat edges -- seemingly created by cutting straight through the clay – makes for a great sense of tension in the sculptures.

About the author

Dallas Jeffs is the Editor of Artist Run Website's blog. She is a recent graduate of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she studied Critical and Cultural Practices. She is passionate about talking and writing about art, and sharing that interest with others. In her studio practice she is a painter, but she considers herself an art writer and educator foremost. If you like art, books and culture with a science fiction twist, check out Dallas' personal blog, HappySpaceNoises